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Cats 101: How to keep cats cool in extreme heat
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Orangey in her hot n' bothered pose.
Yesterday was the hottest day in Seattle history and the rest of the week isn’t looking that much cooler. As you escape to friends’ basements, malls and hotel rooms, it’s important to not forget about your cat!
Don’t assume that Sir. Sunsalot is in his element this week just because he likes to lounge in a sunny windowsill sometimes. Even though cats generally enjoy being warm, temperatures in the 90s and triple digits are a different ballgame. Leaving your cat outside in this kind of heat and not being attentive to his water bowl situation will put him at great risk for overheating or worse.
Ideally, your cat should be kept in the coolest room in your house with plenty of water! Most of us don’t have AC, so keep the fans going.
According to my vet, Dr. Hill of the Cat Clinic of Issaquah, keeping cats hydrated is probably the most important thing you can do right now. Unfortunately, many cats are not big drinkers, so you might have to use trial and error to find a way to boost their interest in water.
Some cats like ice in their water, others don’t. Some enjoy chasing an ice cube across the floor and then licking the melted water. Others will look at you like you're crazy for putting ice on the floor. One sneaky way of getting them to drink more water is by adding it to their canned food. Cats love the gravy in canned food, so by adding some water and stirring it in very well so that all of the food is gravy-like, you’re boosting their water intake without them even realizing it.
There are even some cats who like water in their dry food or a few pieces of dry food in their water. It gives flavor to the water. Tuna water is also a great way to flavor their water. Clam juice is also an option. Try all of these methods until you find something that works!
Another way to cool off your kitty is by moistening their fur with a little sponge bath. Cool water on their heads helps because the process of evaporation will take away some of their body heat. My cats, who normally hate getting wet, have let me wipe them down with damp paper towels this week – they actually loved it. THAT’S how hot they were.
Unlike dogs and humans, cats don’t thermo regulate – they don’t pant or sweat. So, they aren’t good at reducing body heat. Does this put them at a higher risk? Perhaps slightly, said Dr. Hill, but the difference in risk factor for overheating whether you’re a cat vs. being a dog vs. being a human is not that great. So, if you and your dog are struggling in the heat – your cat probably is too.
Don’t assume that cats will just take care of themselves – they need your help to stay hydrated and to stay out of the sun.
If there are rooms in your house that are cooler than others, try to restrict them to those areas. Keep the fans going and keep multiple bowls of water all over the house and change them at least twice a day – cats love clean water!
If you see unattended animals outside, put some water out there. The birds will appreciate it too. If you see an animal in a parked car – raise some hell. That’s a death wish in this heat, windows down or no.
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